


waking the wire

by superglasspiano



Series: something about love, regret, and maybe forgiveness [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Based on a song, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, a bit of angst, but just a bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 05:50:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16848343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superglasspiano/pseuds/superglasspiano
Summary: Do you feel the same when I’m away from you?Do you know the line that I’d walk for you?We could turn around or we could give it up,But we’ll take what comes—Take what comes—Love.





	waking the wire

“I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

They’re standing in the kitchen, Adam growing increasingly agitated, Shiro looking more hopeless by the second.

“Adam…”

“You’re always gone….what if something happens? What am I supposed to do when you don’t come home?”

“I….I can’t not go.” It’s the wrong thing to say—at least right now—and Shiro knows it, but it’s the truth. 

“I know. That’s the problem.”

“I—“ 

Whatever he’s going to do, there’s no stopping him; he can’t be interrupted by words or actions at this point. But it’s still painful to hear him say, “I need some time….to think. I’ll see you tomorrow.” It’s painful to watch him walk away, out the door of the apartment to god-knows-where.

“Wai—“ He’s gone. Shiro sighs. Tomorrow, then.

It’s been maybe two hours—120 minutes of one-sided conversations, of trying to work out what to say—when there’s a knock on the door and a gentle call. “Takashi…”

He gets up from the kitchen table and opens the door. “Adam.”

For as tall as he is, Adam can make himself look very small. Shiro has to all but pull him across the threshold. “I’m sorry,” he says after a moment.

“It’s ok.”

“I just….get so scared sometimes. I start thinking  _ what if? _ and then I can’t stop.  _ What if  _ something goes wrong?  _ What if _ your…disease….gets worse?  _ What if  _ something—anything—happens and I’m not there?” A tear rolls down his cheek.

“Hey, it’s ok.” Shiro wraps him up in his arms. “ _ What if _ everything goes right?  _ What if _ they find a cure?  _ What if _ we just have faith in each other. I’ll always come back, ok? Whatever happens, we’ll take it—together.”

Adam nods. They’re both crying now. “Ok. Alright.” He sniffs, then tries for a smile. “You’d better come back to me then, Takashi Shirogane, you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.” Shiro manages a watery grin. After a few minutes of standing there, breathing each other in, he takes an almost-steady breath and says, “You wanna—?”

“Yeah.”

They break apart, only to walk out of their apartment hand in hand at nearly 1am. 

 

Three years ago this morning, Adam was out the window of the classroom, grinning at the clear evidence of a ship’s landing.  _ He’s back.  _ They were right on schedule—not that he memorised it. He just….payed attention, and sometimes things stuck. Like when this particular ship was due to arrive. It had nothing to do with anyone who happened to be onboard.

Still. Watching the rocket unload was far more interesting than class. He didn’t turn his gaze back to the board. He knew everything they were learning already anyways. Or he’d be able to catch up quick enough. After all, he was still listening. Sort of. 

He definitely wasn’t watching for the moment Takashi Shirogane walked across the tarmac. Nope. Not at a—

There he was. Walking toward the building. The front of his ridiculous-on-anyone-but-him hair blowing a little in the wind. Gorgeous. Perfect. 

Or something like that. Adam couldn’t deny the butterflies in his stomach as he  _ definitely did not _ run down three flights of stairs once class ended. A crowd of friends (and acquaintances) surrounded Takashi, all talking: “Hey, Shiro, what’s it like? How was it? That’s so cool! Really?” He looked equal parts proud/happy and overwhelmed as he tried his best to answer them all.

Adam waited until the crowd dispersed to wander over as casually as he could. “Hey,” he said.

Takashi smiled. “What’s up?”

He tried to return it. “I….uh, well,”  _ shit, I’m awkward. “ _ I just wanted to say, I….I missed you.”

“You did?” 

“Yeah.” He was twisting his hands together like the most awkward person on the planet. _ We’ve been friends for years. Why does it have to be awkward  _ now _? _

“Really?” Takashi looked surprised.

“Really. You...don’t believe me?”

“No!” Takashi practically shouted. “Or….yes?” He looked….almost as nervous as Adam felt. “Of course I believe you…. Thing is, I…missed you too.”

What? “Really?”

“Really really.” He laughed. “Do you feel like a broken record, is it just me?”

Adam laughed with him. “Pretty sure it’s just you.”

“It’s good to see you again.”

“You too.” 

Takashi smiled softly and Adam’s legs turned to jello as he does the same.

It was definitely the best day ever. And it only got better. Even if he didn’t realize it at first. 

Someone was knocking on his dorm room door. Adam groaned, looking at his alarm clock. 12:46 am. Maybe it was an accident, maybe someone got the wrong room. Or his roommate, who had an unfortunate habit of staying out too late—except Josh would have a key card. An accident, then. He rolled over and tried to sleep. 

The knocking continued. Not an accident, then. Or not someone who knew they were in the wrong place, at least. Adam got out of bed grumbling. “What?” he said as he opened the door.

“Um. Hi.”

“Takashi?”

“I woke you up, didn’t I?”

“A little.” Any anger Adam felt at being woken up in the middle of the night was completely gone, replaced by….something else. “I’m up now.”

Takashi smiled. “Good. Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright. What’s up?”

“I….wanted to show you something.” 

“Lead the way.” It wasn’t the most….usual of times to be out and about, but Adam was happy to pull on some clothes quick and follow him anyway. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Ok.” Then, “Is it something we shouldn’t be doing?”

“Define ‘something we shouldn’t be doing’.”

Adam laughed. “That’s reassuring.”

“Are you worried we’ll get in trouble?”

“ _ Me? _ Worry about  _ that _ ?” 

“You never know.” Takashi shrugged. “Pigs might fly someday.”

“I mean, technically, they already have.”

“Fair enough.”

“Well, I must say I’m more worried about you than me.”

“I’m not the one who’ll get in shit if someone happens to catch us.”

Adam bumped his shoulder against Takashi’s. “Teacher’s pet.”

“What are you talking about? I’m a celebrity.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Just use your star power to protect me too and we’ll be fine.”

“If you insi—sh!” Takashi pulled the two of them into the shadow of the building they were passing just in time to get out of Iverson’s line of sight as he wandered past. 

“Very stealthy,” Adam snorted. “Also….I thought you weren’t worried about getting caught.”

“I’m not….really. Have you seen that guy when he’s mad? He’s scary.”

Adam giggled.

“What?”

“You’re scared of Iverson.”

“That’s not what I said!”

“Sure….”

Takashi tried the handle of a side door. It wasn’t locked. He ducked inside, pulling Adam with him. “This way.”

They walked up multiple flights of stairs in the dark—side stairs, obviously not really meant for most people’s use. At the top of the stairs there was a door that almost looked like something out of a submarine, a sturdy metal thing with rounded corners and a circular window centred in the top half. Takashi turned the handles holding it closed, one at the top and one at the bottom, and the door swung open. Adam followed him into a tunnel-esque space with boilers and ducts running loudly along the walls. At the end of the room (hallway?) was another door, nearly identical to the first. It opened just as smoothly; Takashi grabbed Adam’s hand and pulled him through. “Look.”

“Wow,” Adam breathed. They were on the roof, overlooking the Garrison campus. The breeze ruffled his hair as he walked toward the edge, peering over to look at the view. Takashi stood next to him; Adam gravitated toward his warmth, almost cuddling into his side. “This is….”

“Pretty cool, huh?’

“Yeah, sure. That.” It was strange to be up so high—and it was high, 7 storeys at least—not enclosed in walls or a cockpit. It was a sort of rush, to have nothing there to stop him from falling except Takashi’s arm around him ( _ Takashi put his arm around him! _ ), the world laid out before them, lit in the light of nothing but the stars. 

“Worth risking getting in trouble for?”

“Definitely.”  _ You’re always worth it. _ Adam turned to him. They were standing almost right at the edge. 

It was their first kiss.

 

Now, they’ve long lost count. Standing on the rooftop, on the same spot on the same day, as they’ve done for the past three years, everything else falls away. It doesn’t matter what has happened or what will; the world is contained in a single infinity, here, in this moment, in every moment before. 

Adam smiles against Shiro's lips. “I love you.” 

Shiro smiles too. “I love you.” 

They stand there for a minute longer. Then  Shiro sits on the ledge, legs dangling over the side of the roof. 

Adam joins him. “Remember the first time you came back?”

“Yeah. It’s been a while.”

“Three years.”

“A lot can happen in three years.”

“I guess it can. Although….” Adam leans back on his hands. 

“Yeah?”

“At the time, that was the best day of my life.”

“I take it it’s not anymore?”

“Something like that. You’ve outdone yourself since then.”

“Have I?”

“Well, I think so. But y’know that day will always be pretty special.”

Shiro laughs. “And that night.”

“I was getting there.” 

Another laugh, from both of them, then silence. 

Adam sighs happily. “I really love this place.”

“So do I.” Here, within his reach (or so it feels, at least), are Shiro’s two greatest loves: the stars, and Adam.

**Author's Note:**

> So.....what’d you think?


End file.
